FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear during a Thursday press conference dodged questions about reports he’s being vetted to be Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate in this fall’s presidential election, instead pointing to areas where he believed Harris and he have common ground.
Various national media outlets have reported that the second-term Democratic governor is on the list of Democrats that Harris is vetting to be her running mate. He declined to answer whether he’s being vetted, reading a prepared statement that he was “honored to be considered” as a vice presidential candidate and would work to elect Harris as president.
But the Democratic governor did say he believed Harris and he have both supported public education, health care access and infrastructure.
“We need better in this country. We deserve better in this country, and I believe Vice President Harris is going to lead us to a better place,” Beshear said.
When asked about issues that he might face as a vice presidential candidate, he side-stepped some questions while providing lengthy answers to others.
Beshear declined to answer questions about the Israeli government’s continued offensive in Gaza, saying that Israel is a “strong ally” and that foreign policy is set by the president.
“When you have disagreements with a strong ally, I think you have them privately, and I don’t think you can litigate foreign policy through the press,” Beshear said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised victory over Hamas militants during a joint meeting of Congress Wednesday that attracted thousands of protesters and spurred a boycott by some Democratic lawmakers. Harris condemned protesters who burned the U.S. flag near the U.S. Capitol while voicing support for Hamas. The death toll in Gaza continues to increase beyond 39,000, according to Gaza health authorities in the Hamas-controlled territory.
The governor did voice strong agreement with President Joe Biden’s rhetoric that former President and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is a threat to democracy.
“Former President Trump refused to accept a full and fair election, took steps to try to overturn it, but also incited a mob that attacked our U.S. Capitol,” Beshear said. “We deserve better. I can’t believe that he is somehow a presidential candidate after all of that, and it just shows why we need after this election to get to such a better place.”
Following the 2020 presidential election, Trump while still in office pressured the Republican Georgia secretary of state to “find” votes to overturn the election result in that state. The Detroit News also reported Trump in a recording pressured local election officials in Michigan to not certify the 2020 presidential election.
At the end of the press conference, Beshear said he owed “an apology” to Diet Mountain Dew, referencing attacks he made on national television Monday against Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance. Vance had previously said at a campaign event Democrats would find a way to label him drinking Diet Mountain Dew as “racist.” Beshear on CNN panned Vance’s remarks as “weird” and asked who even drank the zero-calorie soda.
Beshear at the press conference said while Ale-8-One was the “soft drink of Kentucky,” he didn’t mean to say negative things about the diet soda.
“I don’t believe that government should be making your decisions. So if you enjoy Diet Mountain Dew, you be you. We want to support you,” Beshear said.
This article is republished under a Creative Commons license from Kentucky Lantern, which is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Kentucky Lantern maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jamie Lucke for questions: info@kentuckylantern.com. Follow Kentucky Lantern on Facebook and Twitter.
Liam Niemeyer covers government and policy in Kentucky and its impacts throughout the Commonwealth for the Kentucky Lantern. He most recently spent four years reporting award-winning stories for WKMS Public Radio in Murray.
